The stone cobbled streets of Jerusalem's Old City that once echoed harmonious coexistence between religiously diverse communities as the German writer Gotthold Ephraim Lessing portrays in his timeless play "Nathan the Wise. Now, they witness the dark clouds of despair which overwhelm the skies over Palestine. The narrow alleys of Jerusalem, once Nathan a wise and benevolent Jewish merchant meandered through now echo with "Chaos, Cosmos! Cosmos, Chaos! Who can tell how all will end?" words Lord Alfred Tennyson penned centuries ago for a different time for a different people.
The Irony is profound. Palestine where according to Lessing, Saladin invited Jews to live peacefully under his enlightened rule now the halls of Israeli Parliament, Knesset, echo with the passage of oppressing laws that itch Palestinians. Gaza strip evokes the chilling parallels to the horrors of Warsaw Ghetto. The insurmountable enduring inflicted upon Palestinians is inconceivable to the human mind, except for the authors of these sufferings, who themselves were tormented by such forces throughout history.
Their palms greased with the Palestinians' blood, they had desecrated the sanctity of the very land Abraham Sarah, Jacob, Rebecca, David and Solomon are buried.
As we reflect on the character of Nathan, whom Lessing praises as wise and peace loving and consider the people who claim their duty to heal the world (Tikkun Olam), a pressing question haunts us, what has gone wrong with them?
Steering along the vision of the old man, David Ben Gurion, Israel's first prime minister, they had undergone a formidable transformation. It's a stark transformation unlike Kafka's character Gregor Samsa.
In Kafka's novel Metamorphosis a salesman, Gregor Samsa, undergoes a startling transformation. Overnight, he is morphed into a disgusting insect. This transformation of Gregor Samsa portrays the miserable condition of Jews in Europe.
The nation of Israel, once a nascent state, by shedding the chrysalis of fragility and treading on the path beaten by the oppressors of its past, has experienced a metamorphosis of its own cocooning from a military weaponry, unlike the metamorphosis of harmless creatures like the transformation of a butterfly from a caterpillar or a frog's journey from a tadpole. Through slow and inexorable process of transformation it has evolved into a formidable military power. This feat of transformation is not just political but has profound moral implications.
This fraught landscape, yet with no end to the sufferings, of Palestine echoes Lord Alfred Tennyson's words "Chaos, Cosmos! Cosmos, Chaos! Who can tell how all will end?"
David and Goliath-- A Paradoxical Role Reversal
Amidst Israel-Palestine conflict we cannot find ourselves untouched by the timeless tale of David and Goliath. This classic story captivates us how an underdog's valor triumphs over the overwhelming might. It reflects humanity's innate desire to witness the powerless stand against the powerful.
In the crucible of Israel-Palestine conflict we witness a paradoxical role reversal----Palestinian children fighting Israeli tanks with stones----A hidden universe of suffering. It evokes the memories of power asymmetry akin to the biblical tale of David who takes on the colossal giant, Goliath, armed with nothing but an unyielding courage and a slingshot.
Palestinians' plight against advanced Israeli weaponry echoes H.G. Wells' words in "War of the Worlds," "man's war against sparrow." where Martians' cylinders wrought havoc to the Earth's defenseless populace. This power disparity elicits the paradoxical role reversal. Israel, once David has become a military Goliath, sparkling complex moral and strategic dilemmas, especially concerning self-defense.
In the heart of this very conflict, an intriguing role reversal has occurred. Israel, once a fledging nation, navigating the shadows of its powerful allies, is now cast as the military Goliath. This transformation, centering on the concept of self-defense, introduces a profound moral and strategic conundrum. Embedded in the conflict's ethos is the ancient Talmudic principle, "If someone comes to kill you, rise and kill him first." But its application in the context of this strife raises intricate question. Does this philosophy genuinely guarantee security? This metamorphosis of David into Goliath provides a compelling backdrop to scrutinize the intricate dynamics of the modern Israel-Palestine conflict.
Nathan the Wise: A fable of Harmony
As the seismic effect of this intricate dance of power in Palestine jolts the human conscience and leaves us gloomy with a somber layer upon our heart. Yet "Nathan the Wise" offers a glimmer of hope for harmony and coexistence among religiously diverse society.
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